Words About Things

No news is good news or to put it another way: good news is not news. Millions of people hire cars without any problem but car rental companies only seem to make the news when there is some kind of dispute. Still disputes do happen so here are some tips on how to avoid them.

1. Make sure everything is organized well in advance. Ring the car rental company before you travel and make sure they are expecting you. If the booking is not longer in their system it is better to know before you arrive.

2. Take photos. Many people do this when renting property and it is worth doing with car and van rental also. Make a note and keep a record of any damage before you leave as well as pointing it out to the person handing over the keys. This prevents any misunderstandings about who caused the damage.

3. Check the cost of extras. To avoid being surprised by hidden extras make sure everything is agreed in advance.

4. If you need to refill the car don’t wait until the last petrol station before the airport. Stopping further afield is often cheaper if not so convenient. Don’t stop to fill up on the motorway as these petrol stations tend to be the most expensive. Don’t leave it up to the car rental company to fill up, this is likely to be the most expensive option.

Here are 10 useful tips for keeping the cost of your annual holiday down. There is no point having an expensive holiday and having to worry even more about money when you get back! Saving a bit of money doesn’t necessarily mean making huge compromises (don’t worry I won’t be recommending a trip to Milton Keynes) just a bit of forward planning.

1. Book Early. I know this is a bit of an obvious one but it is worth repeating. Train travel, hotel rooms, car rental and Flights are often cheaper if you book as far in advance as possible.

2. How about staying with friends or taking part in a house swap? Just make sure you organize it well so you don’t end up returning home to find people in your house who expect to stay another night (true story!) [Guardian Home Exchange]

3. Buy your holiday from ebay. I had no idea but apparently people sell holidays they can no longer take via online auctions. This might be a bit of a last minute technique but look on the positive side, you benefit from someone else’s misfortune! [ebay.co.uk travel section]

4. Avoid paying ridiculous ATM fees Phone your bank before you go and find out the best way to reduce cost before you get there!

5. A Camping Barn is a minimally furnished self catering alternative to caravanning and camping. The cost from as little as £7 per person per night and are great for large families. [campingbarn.com]

6. Complain. If your holiday is not up to scratch or your airline sells your seat to someone else then you could get compensation. Sometimes it is necessary to hire someone else to chase a refund but the main thing is not to give up after one reply!

7. look online for discount voucher codes. For example enter FLIPFLOPS as a pro code on the easycar.com site for a summer discount. [vouchercodes.co.uk]

8. Avoid paying ridiculous mobile phone fees. Phone your operator before you go and find out the best way to reduce cost before you get there!

9. Compare prices online to make sure you’re not paying over the odds for your flight or hotel room. [travelsupermarket.com]

10. For those who don’t work hard enough outside of holiday time (how many people work in your office? About half of them, arf arf!) how about a working holiday. [workingholidayinfo.com]